if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

William Powell is, as always, wonderful. His acting is beautifully understated. I wish you could say the same for Henry Fonda and Jack Lemmon. Such overacting and theatrics. And they don't seem to know how to talk in a normal tone of voice. Perhaps they could have shut up for a few moments and listened to how William Powell does it. There are so many boo-boos and ridiculous set-ups in this film. For example, everyone gathers around to hear Mr. Roberts' letter to Pulver. But they continue to crouch around when he moves on to read a letter from his friend. Why would they care? Well, because the letter from the friend contains big dramatic news, so they have to be all clustered around so we can see them look shocked and grieved. So phony.And Navy enlisted personnel who break into the colonial governor's mansion and damage property would not just be escorted back to their ship. That's just silly.

Having served on an oiler in the mid-60's, this tale of a cargo ship sailing (seemingly) aimlessly in the Pacific during wartime has stuck with me for 50 years. I have long been a fan of both the stage play and the movie because it spoke to my personal time in the service. While the performances are uniformly strong, it is the script that I have always thought was the reason this story still stands up. While those fighting on the front lines are usually the subject of war movies, we frequently forget that there are far more service people working in support that give those at the front the chance to succeed. Having spent time on a support ship myself, I was stunned by how many characters I recognized as members of the crew. With the exception of the Captain, each of these sailors, no matter how small the part, felt like a true reflection of the men I served with. Others may see them as stereotypical, but I do not. The kinship I have felt for the men on The Reluctant continues to be palpable. Based on a book of stories that are, in turn, based on the original author's experiences on such vessels during the war, Mister Roberts continues to fascinate. If there is a theme to be taken away from the overall project it is Mr. Roberts' paean to the crew in a letter he writes. Remember, this is storytelling that allows you to absorb the atmosphere and the nuances of the time and story. Don't expect a lot of action because that is not the part of WWII's story that the film makers are telling. This comedy/drama is firmly cradled in the reality of a time and place only a few of us have gone.

As I recall, the movie was a 1956 smash hit. Certainly, we high-school boys filled the local theatre, laughing uproariously down to the sobering finale that suddenly reminded us WWII was more than just a comedic backdrop. Seeing the movie again after so many years, my feelings are mixed. I still laugh at Frank's (Lemmon) hyper-antics, the doc's (Powell) droll wit, and the hapless palm trees. Plus, I still like Mr. Roberts (Fonda) and chafe at Cagney's tyrannical Captain Bligh.However, the drunken shore-leave scenes now leave me cringing. The boisterous antics seemed funny at the time, but now seem silly and obvious. Plus, I'm also aware of how such drunken escapades disrespect the local people and their customs and affect our national image around the world. Maybe such a concern seems unduly fussy when it concerns a comedy, but the humor in these scenes is clearly fit for high-schoolers.Nonetheless, what lifts this service comedy above its many imitators is its intelligent sub-text. No need to dwell on the details since other reviewers have spelled them out. But the laughs overlie a deeper parable about earning respect (Pulver), living with boredom (the entire crew), abuse of power plus class envy (the captain), and finally, dealing with war death (the audience). Thus, the laughs have a well-constructed serious side that gives them a point. Unfortunately, this time around I didn't experience the joyous abandon of those innocent high-school years. But there were still plenty of guffaws, along with a new respect for the artistry of the mix. No doubt it's true that people and things do change. Yet I wonder how much, because I still like the movie.

If one has ever read the novel " Mr. Roberts " then seen the movie of that same name, they would see very little difference in the film version. Henry Fonda has the featured part which is played well against the antagonist, James Cagney, who has an equally memorable role. The story is about an idealist young Lt. JG named Douglas A. 'Doug' Roberts. Although he serves as Cargo Officer aboard a transport vessel, he secretly yearns to see real 'action' aboard a actual naval ship, preferably a warship. However, his commanding Officer, one Captain Morton (James Cagney) realizes Robert's dream of transferring to other duties, but spitefully chooses to keep him in his unhappy position. The men aboard ship, which includes (William Powell, in his last film), Jack Lemmon and Ward Bond as Chief Petty Officer Dowdy, admire Roberts and decided to help him with a secret plan. The movie itself is a wonderful, but dramatic portrayal of naval personal who dream of going into action, despite the risks associated with their decisions. The audience should be prepared for some tender and poignant pathos. Recommended to all Fonda and Lemmon fans. ****